VIENNA, Dec 18 (Hina) - The Vienna-based OSCE Permanent Assembly on Thursday considered a half-year report on Croatia and extended the mandate of the OSCE mission in Zagreb until 31 December 2004.
VIENNA, Dec 18 (Hina) - The Vienna-based OSCE Permanent Assembly on
Thursday considered a half-year report on Croatia and extended the
mandate of the OSCE mission in Zagreb until 31 December 2004.#L#
The report was submitted by the OSCE (Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe) mission's head Peter Semneby who commended
Croatia for headway it made in the last six months in several fields.
He, however, warned that great expectations were placed on the new
government in the fields of the return of refugees and restitution of
their property as well as in the reform in the judiciary and some
remaining issues pertaining to cooperation with the Hague-based UN war
crimes tribunal.
The OSCE Permanent Assembly chairman, Dutch Ambassador Justus de
Visser, said that in the coming year the mission's intentions and
Zagreb's request for consideration of new circumstances and reduction
of the OSCE mission staff would be taken into account. Currently,
there are 64 international members of the mission in Croatia.
The European Union informed the Permanent Assembly that it expected
the new Croatian government to continue tackling open issues and
intensify efforts aimed at the return of refugees, their property
restitution and the efficient reform of the judiciary. The EU added
that the fulfilment of said and other political criteria defined by
the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) were prerequisites
for Croatia's admission into the EU.
The United States' delegation gave a speech in a similar tone placing
emphasis on the return of refugees and cooperation with the UN
tribunal, especially in the case of the runaway general Ante Gotovina,
as well as on the speedy overhaul of the judiciary.
The Russian Federation welcomed positive achievements in Croatia and
pointed to the importance of the completion of ongoing processes.
The delegation of Serbia-Montenegro voiced satisfaction with the
progress but pointed out problems which ethnic Serbs and returnees
were facing. The delegation voiced hope that the problems would be
settled in the coming period in full cooperation with the
international community and neighbouring countries.
The OSCE's 13th report confirmed that great progress was made in many
areas, but it also noted that Croatia would like to reach standards in
many fields so as to enter the European Union, Croatia's ambassador to
the OSCE and other Vienna-based international organisations said. This
was the main reason for the decision to extend the OSCE mission's
mandate for another year, Vladimir Matek said.
(Hina) ms sb